Mist Child
by Artemis Nox
Summary: "...you are missing a crucial key to your journey. A girl...descended from the great samurai...who takes his name from the moon god from which he descended...You must find her, or lose all hope in winning your battle."
1. Prologue

**I can't believe that I'm really going to attempt this... Well, my friend requested a fic, and here it is. Planning it with her was torture, since she could not make up her mind about anything. (I heart you~). Let me also note that if any names are stated where both the given name and the family name are said, the family name comes first. Here anyway. Enjoy.**

**Disclamer: I do not own _Inuyasha_, or any of its associations.**

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Prologue

The sun was shining ferociously, beaming down in every place imaginable, and eliminating most shadows, the only sources of relief. A boy—seeming to be in his late teens—lead a group containing four others, and a cat, down a winding dirt road. His long white hair clung to the sticky sweat that ran down his face, and the dog ears perched atop his head twitched every once in a while—whenever a new complaint about the heat was uttered. "We're out of water," another boy spoke as he pushed the wet black mass from his forehead. "Can't we stop now, Inuyasha?"

The white- haired boy twitched his ears again. "And just where do you propose we stop, Miroku?"

The black-haired boy, Miroku, looked around at his surroundings. All grassland, slowly drying up in the relentless sun with no other signs of life anywhere was all he saw. He sighed, "I see your point…." The group trekked on in silence, battling its way up a hill. The climb was steep and treacherous, further tiring the water-depraved travelers. They did not go unrewarded, for as they came to the top of the mound of earth, a small village could be seen in the not too far distance.

"Look, Inuyasha!" A girl with jet black hair squealed. "We'll be able to stop there, right?" Her green and white sailor fuku made her stand out among the others, all wearing kimonos and robes instead.

Inuyasha did not even look back towards her as he spoke. "What else would we do?"

The village was minuscule, but bustling with life nonetheless. The people were colorful, laughter and chatter could be heard everywhere, and the savory smells of someone's lunch wafted through the air. The group took a while to find release from the sun's killer heat and gather any supplies they would need before they reconvened, ready to set out once more. "It's a shame we have to leave so soon," the black-haired girl murmured. "The people here were so friendly and helpful, even towards you, Inuyasha."

"Get real, Kagome," he said to her. "We don't have the time to linger in every little village we stop in."

"I know, I just wished that more people would be this kind."

The group began to head out, passing through a surprisingly silent part of the town. In fact, in that particular area, shadows danced freely across dingy shack walls and seemed devoid of all people with the exception of a huddled figure clad in aubergine purple robes standing at the end of the path. Once close enough, the figure could be identified as a woman, and she reached a wrinkled, knobby hand out to grasp Kagome's shoulder. "Such a pretty girl," she creaked. "I can tell already that you have many men troubles." She grabbed the girl's hand and began to lead her the opposite way. "Come. Come inside my shop, and I'll tell you your fortune. You must want to know your fu—eh?"

Inuyasha had stepped in front of the old hag, blocking her way. "Sorry old lady, we don't have time for your games."

"Oh come on, Inuyasha," Kagome pouted. "It shouldn't be long, and she's eager to do it."

"I don't know, Kagome," a girl with dark brown hair, and warm chocolate eyes spoke. She leaned in closer to Kagome and whispered to her, "She seems a bit shady to me. I'm not sure if we can trust her."

"Oh, Sango, she's a harmless old lady." Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Move out her way so that we can get this done quickly." He moved, reluctantly.

After going back a few steps, and venturing through a dark and dusty curtain-door into an even darker and dustier voodoo shop. The hunched woman led Kagome into a back room, and hurriedly pushed her down into a chair at a grimy table with an even grimier crystal ball sitting upon it. The woman sat at the opposite end, and the others stood crowded around Kagome. The only things that could be seen in the darkness were the red eyes of Sango's pet nekomata, Kirara.

Suddenly, the crystal ball began to glow, and the old woman herself seemed to be entranced by it. She stared deeply into the orb of light, as if she were looking for something. When she spoke, it sounded like the eerie croak of a frog in the middle of the night. "I can see that your quest is to rid our land of the new great evil that has come to settle amongst us. How very noble of you." After an exchange of indescribable glances, she continued. "But it seems that you are missing a crucial key to your journey. A girl, not of this world yet somehow descended from the great samurai Tsukuyomi Yoritomo, who takes his name from the moon god from which he descended. To spot her you must seek out the eyes that prove true that fact that she has been touched by the moon spirit. You must find her, or lose all hope in winning your battle."

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**A/N: What do you think so far? Oh no, I forgot to slip Shippo in here! Next chapter then. I had to make sure I fit in most of my friend's ideas, 'cause they were all pretty good. Now I have to start chapter one... -.-' **


	2. Chapter One

**Here is the first chapter! A lot of planning gent into this, and I _did_ get Shippo in here. Mission accomplished! So anyway, enjoy~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_, or any of its associations. **

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Chapter One

Kagome could not believe she had not seen this coming. "A tutor? I need a tutor?"

The group had stumbled out of the old lady's shop quite confused, but managed to reach the well so that Kagome could return to her time anyway. She had a huge test to take, and even though she felt quite confident about it, she had failed. Out of concern, all of her teachers and the principal held a meeting, comparing her grades and discussing different things they should do to help her. The only conclusion they were able to come to, was that Kagome should enlist for a tutor to help her study. The principal called home to explain this all to Kagome's mother, who agreed that the plan was something that could help her daughter. The only problem was that Kagome had planned to return to the Warring States period the day they sprung all of this on her.

"That's what your teachers say. Just give it a try, Kagome. We selected your tutor together, and I managed to get the daughter of a friend of mine. She'll be here soon."

"But, Mom, today I was going to go back—"

"I'm sorry Kagome. Staying one day longer couldn't hurt."

"I guess not…. I just hope Inuyasha and the others don't worry."

It was just then when the two heard a knock on the front door, and Kagome's mother rushed to go answer it. "Oh, hello dear," she greeted the person. "Yes, she's prepared for you," She chuckled before she continued. "You make it sound like torture. Come on inside." Kagome's mother led her guest to the living room where Kagome was waiting for them. "Kagome," she began when they stepped in. "This is Tsukuyomi Kiriko. She will be your tutor. Kiriko-chan, this is my daughter Kagome."

Kagome took in the girl's appearance, starting with the long silken bangs that fell into her eyes. Her hair was as dark as a stormy night sky, gathered into a ponytail at the base of her neck, draped elegantly over her right shoulder, and fell to her waist. The carnelian and white striped headband positioned upon her head was the only color among the mass of dark smoothness. She wore a sleeveless cardigan of the same red over her three-fourths sleeve British tee-shirt that looked casually elegant, and that was enough to make the school-uniform-clad Kagome wish she had changed clothes when she came home from school that day. Kiriko spoke, her voice warm, caring, and extremely feminine. "Nice to meet you and I hope we will be able to work well together."

The girl gave a slight bow and Kagome did the same while responding, "Y-yeah, nice to meet you too." When they both rose, Kiriko flashed Kagome a benign smile, and Kagome began to pull out the work she was having problems with. After being motioned to do so by Kagome's mother, Kiriko walked over and sat next to her new student. The next hour passed by slowly for them both as Kiriko tried to get Kagome to understand what they were working on. Then came along a moment of awkward silence and Kagome was the one who broke it. "You seem to really get this stuff. I swear they haven't taught it to us yet though. Are you in high school?"

"Just my first year. To tell you the truth, I was terrified the first day. It was nothing though, just a bit reluctant to accept change." Her hand went to a round locket hanging from her neck. "My older brother gave this to me when I graduated from middle school. Ever since then, I would always hold it tight when I got nervous or scared. It made it feel like he was with me." She dropped her hand. "But all of that is irrelevant. How are you doing on those problems?"

"A lot better than before actually. Thanks for helping."

"No problem. I guess I better get going." Kiriko rose swiftly to her feet.

"I'll walk you out," Kagome chirped, and stood also.

Though the girl was a year older, she seemed to be slightly shorter than Kagome. She was not exactly towering over Kiriko, and could easily see her eyes through her bangs now that they were much closer to one another. Kagome nearly gasped when she saw them. They were ashen, as if they had been glazed over. Even the pupils of her eyes could barely be labeled a dark grey, and they were extremely prominent against the silvery-white of her irises. Kiriko noticed that the girl had been staring, cocked her head slightly, and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Oh! N-no, no, there's nothing wrong. It's just that…." Her voice trailed.

"What is it?"

"Your eyes…they're so pale…. Can you see?"

"I'm not blind. There's no need to worry."

"Don't get me wrong, your eyes are lovely, it just surprised me is all. I couldn't see them before."

"It's alright," Kiriko said as she waved it all away. "I get that a lot. It's actually kind of a common trait in my family. It pops up in a few people in every generation."

"Oh."

"So, I'll go now."

Kagome walked the girl to the door and thanked her again as she put on her slouched mid-calf boots. No sooner had Kiriko walked out the door when Sota ran in. "Inuyasha's here."

"What?"

The moment Kagome stepped outside she came face-to-face with the hanyou. "You're late."

"Oh, get over it. I'll be back tomorrow."

"No, we're going back now. Get your stuff."

"My, you're bossy. I guess it's still light enough. Alright." She turned to see her brother holding out her enormous bag to her. "Don't hurt yourself," she sighed as she took the backpack from him and set it on the ground. After going through a complicated process to get the bag on, she heaved another sigh. "Alright, I'll be going now, Sota. Make sure to tell Mom and Grandpa for me." And she left.

Kiriko was on her way down the street when a flash of red caught her eye. She turned to see what it was, and only found a boy dressed in an odd red kimono*. She would have continued on her way had she not seen the dainty bits of fluff that were his ears. Kiriko tried hard to turn herself around and mind her own business, but the urge to get a closer look triumphed in the battle in her mind. She snuck slowly and quietly back towards Kagome's house, but by the time she reached her desired distance, Kagome had come out and now equipped with a hefty looking bag, she and the boy walked off in the other direction. Kiriko sighed; saddened that she had arrived too late. '_I just wanted to see what they were. Oh, face it Kiriko, the boy was obviously dressed in some sort of cosplay, so whatever they were, they weren't real. I wonder where they're going off too. It's not my business though. If I follow them…. No! Why would you follow them? That's creepy. But I just want to see…. This is stupid. Why am I fighting with myself? They're getting away!' _Kiriko's curiosity eventually won out and she tip-toed after the two. They disappeared behind wooden doors into a building of sorts. Kiriko almost stopped following after them, but could not. She slipped into the building but came to a screeching halt. Kagome and the boy were nowhere to be found. Kiriko glanced around, and seeing no one decided to leave. She was about to turn away when she caught sight of the well down the few rickety steps. Figuring that they may have hidden down there because they found out she was following them, she decided to gaze into it and make sure they had not hurt themselves. '_If they are injured, it would be my fault anyway.'_

The stairs creaked as she climbed down them and once she reached the well she leaned forward to peer into it. She leaned too far and lost her balance, but re-steadied herself quickly. "Not in here…" she murmured. Her locket dangled in front of her, and Kiriko took a moment to admire its ultramarine blue color, and the way it glinted in the filtered sunlight. She took a step backwards, preparing to push herself away from the well, but the moment her foot hit the ground, something rolled beneath it and nearly flung her leg outwards behind her. She pitched forward reaching for anything to keep her from falling. The attempt failed, and she plunge into darkness.

Kiriko braced herself for pain, her eyes squinted shut and already whispering to herself, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…" but the pain never came. She gathered the courage to open one eye, and looked upwards. She was still in the well, but had somehow landed neatly on her bottom. '_It's a lot deeper than I thought. I'm so lucky I'm okay.' _She stood up slowly and dusted off her faded jeans. _'Now to get out of here…' _Kiriko looked around, searching for a ladder or something of the like, but was unsuccessful. "Hello," she called. "Can anyone hear me?" She waited, but there was no response. "I guess not…." _'Gah, this is what I get for being so stupid!' _

"Is someone down there?" It was a child's voice that was yelling down at her.

"Yes! Is there any way you can help me get out?"

"Hold on," was the boy's response.

An unearthly silence settled upon Kiriko, making her feel a tad bit uncomfortable. She had already started shuffling her feet when a voice could be heard again. "What do you mean, 'Someone's down there'? Are you messing with me?" The person speaking could be identified as a teenage boy from the sound of his voice.

"No," the child cried. "I really mean it, I heard her say she was stuck."

The older boy sighed and looked down into the well. "Someone is down there…." Suddenly, he jumped down and landed gruffly next to Kiriko. He studied her carefully, and snorted. "You don't look like you're from around here."

"Um…"

"And you smell different too."

Kiriko was at loss for words. The boy paid no mind to her confused expression. He grabbed her arm and literally jumped out of the well. Kiriko might have asked him incredulously how had he done that, but something on the top of his head had distracted her. _'Dog ears?'_

"Do you know who she is, Inuyasha?" Shippo's eyes were filled with the essence of questioning.

"I know she's not human, that's for sure."

"Is this some sort of game," Kiriko interrupted. "Of course I'm human!"

"You don't smell like it," Inuyasha scoffed.

"What are you guys doing?" All three turned to see who spoke. Kagome had come to see what was taking Inuyasha and Shippo so long. She found them, but noticed that they had found someone else. "Kiriko-san?"

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***: Not really a kimono, but I did put "odd"**

**So? Does it seem okay so far? You can tell me in a review if you like. ;D**


	3. Chapter Two

**I almost forgot to update. Aren't you glad I didn't? Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_, or any of its associations.**

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Chapter Two

"How'd you get here?" Kagome had the most confused look on her face.

"Oh, Kagome-san," Kiriko began. "I'm sorry that I followed you, and for the stupidest of reasons too. And then I fell into that bottomless pit of doom! I'm so lucky that someone was there to get me out and bring me to this place that I do not recognize…." Her voice trailed off. "Wasn't that," she pointed to the well. "Inside a building? And…." She trailed off again.

"Wait, you followed me?"

"Where did all of the grass come from?"

"You shouldn't have been able to follow me, even if you tried! How did you really get here?"

"Where's your house?"

"How were you able to go through…?" Kagome's voice was trailing this time.

"How come I can't see the city anymore?" Kiriko's voice was growing frantic.

"How in the world were you able to get here?" Kagome was beginning to lose control of the emotion in her voice as well.

"Kagome-san, where are we?"

"Alright, that's enough," Inuyasha growled. "Kagome, just tell the girl where she is. It doesn't matter how she got here, because she's already here."

Reluctantly realizing that Inuyasha was right, Kagome took a deep breath and explained to Kiriko about the Bone Eater's Well, how she uses it as a tunnel between the two time periods, how Kiriko must be able to pass through as well somehow, because she was now nearly five hundred years into the past.

"I-is…. Is all of that true?" Kiriko asked the question dumbly, finding everything hard to believe. Kagome nodded in silence. "I think I need to sit down for a second…."

"Uh…sure. We'll take you to the village so that you can eat too." Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Carry her," she commanded.

"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously.

"Carry her." Her voice was low and menacing. Inuyasha obeyed.

Once the group reached the village they were greeted by the rest of their friends. The next few minutes after that consisted of bewildered faces, numerous questions, and hollow answers. Inuyasha carried Kiriko to Kaede's hut and set her down not-so-gently on the ground.

Directly outside, Kiriko could hear Kagome talking to the old woman about her. Kaede was arguing that if there was no reason for Kiriko to be there, then she would not be while Kagome insisted that she must return Kiriko to her home. The two must have been absorbed in their discussion, because neither of them noticed purple-clad hunched figure that entered the hut. Kiriko stared at the elderly female in confusion. _'Kagome and that woman must have noticed her when she came in. Did they send her in here?'_

The old lady reached toward Kiriko with her wrinkled, knobby hand and stroked her cheek. Kiriko, seriously frightened now, began to back away as quickly as she could* and as she did so, she called out, "K-kagome-san!"

Baffled, both Kagome and Kaede hurried to Kiriko's side. Kagome immediately gasped upon recognizing the figure, which had turned to face her. Her splotched and wrinkled face broke into a grin of decaying teeth. "You've found her, my goodness you've found her."

"What?" Kagome breathed.

The old woman continued. "Just by the looks of her, you can tell that the moon god is in her bloodline. Her role in your quest is an important one as well; it's terribly advantageous that you found her."

"What do ye speak of?" Kaede asked her.

"Only a few days ago I came upon this girl and her friends," the fortune-teller began. "I told her of the descendant of the moon god, the other girl, and how they need her in order to rid our land of the newfound evil. And they have found her. She is to be their guardian, for her powers are the only shield they will have against the evil—the ultimate protection."

"I see." Kaede turned to Kagome. "There is reason for her to be here, she must stay."

Kagome sighed and nodded, accepting the older woman's wisdom, all the while Kiriko sat in a corner, confused by the whole exchange.

* * *

"She's arrived," a little girl dressed in completely white had spoken. Her voice was soft, emotionless, and one would have said that she was only speaking to herself.

"Is that so?" The shadow that was speaking moved only slightly before continuing. "Well then, I had best find someone to dispose of her." At that moment, two figures arose from nothing and disappeared into the darkness.

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The next day, Inuyasha and his group set out on their journey once more, this time taking a dazed Kiriko with them. "So let me get this straight," Inuyasha nearly snarled. "This…thing," he jerked his head in Kiriko's direction. "Is supposed to be our great 'protector?'"

"Don't call her a thing and yes she is." Kagome shook her head slightly before continuing. "The old woman said that her powers were the only shield we would have against the 'evil.'"

Inuyasha suddenly turned to the monochrome-eyed girl. "And what powers would those be? What can you do?"

"I-I…." She fumbled with her words. "I'm not sure I can do anything."

"You see that!" Inuyasha raved. "She's absolutely worthless! You should take her back."

"Don't say such things so soon, Inuyasha," Sango interjected. "It's very possible that she has power, but has not realized what it is or what it can do just yet."

"She's right you know," Miroku added. "And besides, we should be grateful to be in the presence of such a divine young lady."

Sango's expression suddenly grew cold. "On a second thought, maybe it would be safer for her to go home."

The group continued on, silence settling uncomfortably among them. Night fell, and the troupe began to set up a camp for the night. Nightly bedtime rituals were performed, and one by one everyone fell asleep—with the exception of Kiriko. Not only did she feel it was impossible to sleep comfortably in the strange new world she now existed in, but Kiriko often had problems sleeping at night. It was not as if she struggled to sleep so to speak, but it was like she was most awake during the nighttime. As soon as the moon rose, she was alive with a newfound burst of energy—one that she would never feel during the daytime. As a result, Kiriko rarely went to sleep before the sun rise again with morning.

And so, the nocturnal girl chose to escape the ennui of insomnia by wandering a little ways away from the campsite. She found a quiet little copse, where she sat on the ground, with her back flat against a tree. Kiriko slowly drew her knees to her chest as she went through the day's events through her mind. Just thinking about what had happened sparked feelings of fear and uneasiness within her. The concept of her being so far into the past at this very moment was incomprehensible to her. Instinctively, her hand went to the locket dangling from its silver chain around her neck. She squeezed it tightly, remembering all of the little games she and her brother used to play together since neither of them could bring themselves to sleep at night. How she missed him. Ever since he moved out, Kiriko had grown rather lonely. Even now, surrounded by nearly half a dozen others, Kiriko had never felt so isolated, because she had never been so far away from her brother—especially the way she was now.

She sat in silence, wondering if things would turn out well and hoping that she could go home soon. To keep her mind occupied, Kiriko decided to listen to the various sounds of the night and try to identify them—she and her brother used to have competitions to see who could figure it out the fastest. Of course there were the standard chirps from crickets, hoots from owls, and the whoosh of the slight breeze. There was a slight rustle in the trees overhead; Kiriko figured it was a bird flying away. Another rustle. '_Maybe a squirrel?' _The leaves rustled once more. And then there was silence.

Kiriko decided to return to the others, before she forgot her way and became lost. She stood slowly and brushed the dirt from her jeans. As she made to start retracing her steps, she came face-to-face with the most hideous creature she had ever seen. It had wrinkled, hairy, brown skin, and long curving tusks that protruded from its wide mouth; filled with crooked teeth. The beast stared at Kiriko with bulging garnet eyes, and pouring from its mouth was slimy saliva. The monstrosity spoke. "What are you?"

Kiriko could only utter a small squeak that conveyed her feelings of shock, disgust, and horror all in one.

"You look human," the fiend continued in its sickly deep voice. "But you don't smell like on. You don't smell like a demon either. Speak! What are you?"

Kiriko could not make a sound.

"I guess if I tear you apart and dissect you, I'll figure out what you are." The demon raised a crooked hairy arm to attack. It never got the chance to do so.

All Kiriko remembered was the monster disintegrating in front of her, and Inuyasha materializing in its place. He seemed irritated and was saying something Kiriko could not hear. Her vision grew blurry, and eventually all she could see was blackness. She had fainted.

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***: Whilst crab-walking**

**A/N: My, my. Isn't it getting interesting? No? You can tell me all about the things you liked, and didn't like in a rewiew~**


	4. Chapter Three

**Hello there~ Time for the third chapter to come out already? Gosh, I haven't finished writing Chapter Four yet. I should get to work on that... Anyway, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_, or any of its associations.**

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Chapter Three

When Kiriko was able to see color again, she was lying on her back, and Kagome was leaning over her, watching her wake. "I-I can see again," Kiriko murmured. "When did you get here, Kagome? And…how did I…get down here? Where…I'm confused."*

"You fainted," Inuyasha told her bluntly, peeking over Kagome's shoulder.

"Oh, shoo!" Kagome waved him away. "Are you feeling alright?" Kagome looked concerned as she helped Kiriko to her feet.

"Uh…yeah. Did you by any chance see that...thing?"

"The youkai? I didn't. Inuyasha took care of it, and then brought you back here. Can you walk? We're about to head out…."

"Yes, I'm fine." The group began to migrate.

"I still don't get why the youkai was after you," Kagome wondered aloud. "They usually come for Inuyasha."

"It's her scent," Inuyasha called from his position in the lead. "Whatever the heck she is, no one has smelled anything like it before. The stupid ones get curious and come looking."

"But can't they still tell that she smells human?" Kagome asked.

"She doesn't."

"Then what does she smell like?"

"How should I know? Whatever she is, I haven't met one before."

Everyone on the group took advantage of the silence that climbed over them and pondered over what Inuyasha had just said—especially Kiriko. _'Not human? How is that even possible? Does he even know what he's talking about? I'm pretty sure I'm a human.' _Kiriko sighed, not knowing what to think anymore.

When they had stopped for a lunch break, Kiriko sat on the bank of the nearby stream*2, staring into its crystal waters. She gazed blankly, wondering if she could really handle the mess she had gotten herself into. Kiriko took a deep breath and drew her knees to her chest. _'Don't make yourself think too hard,' _she scolded herself. _'I should take this opportunity to clear my mind, and try to rid myself off all doubt.' _Kiriko continued to stare blankly at the flowing waters, and eventually all thought emptied itself from her mind. The girl was impassive and completely unaware of herself and her surroundings. And think a spark flew in her mind. Before she could do anything, Kiriko felt as if she were being drawn into another world. The sparkling water disappeared before her eyes and in its stead appeared a tall, elegant man. His silver hair, and distinct facial marking made him seem exotic, even more so than Kiriko's monochrome-toned eyes.

He seemed to be speaking, but Kiriko could not hear a word he was saying. Whatever he was speaking of or whomever he was speaking to was most likely boring him, for his facial expression was of one who is distinctly disinterested. Kiriko looked around to see if he was indeed talking to another person. He was, and Kiriko vaguely recognized him or her. She stared intently, trying to see if she could recognize the person. She could, and with a jolt she realized it was herself. Her inky-black hair was a bit ruffled, her face had a few smudges on it, her sleeveless cardigan ravaged: Kiriko looked a mess. Watching herself speak to the man unsettled Kiriko, especially because she seemed to grow more terrified with every word she spoke.

Kiriko tried hard to focus, hoping to be able to hear the conversation, but the more she thought about it, the blurrier her vision became. It was only a matter a time before everything faded to black. The next thing Kiriko saw was the darkening sky, and a fire flickering in the corner of her eye. She shot upright and looked around wildly.

"You're awake," she heard someone say. Kiriko turned to find the source of the voice, which turned out to be Miroku. "You fainted again," he explained, seeing the baffled expression on her face. "Shippo found you by that stream and called everyone else over."

"And it was a pain carrying you all over the place," Inuyasha added, somewhat glaring at Kiriko from across the fire. "Some 'Protector' you are. I've been protecting you."

"I'm sorry," Kiriko said, glancing at him. When she saw his face she gave a small squeak. She had only looked quickly, and with the shadows playing their games upon face he looked vaguely similar to the man she saw before she woke up next to the fire. She told him so when he asked her what was her problem, describing what she saw and how she came upon seeing it—or rather how she was not entirely sure how she came upon seeing it.

"Hmm…" Miroku began after she had finished. "It sounds like you had some sort of psychic vision, even though I heard that the psychics that usually have them can only see events that can or have happened. What do you think Inuyasha?"

"What the hell do you mean, 'What do I think?' I don't know anything about psychics and visions."

"Yes," Miroku continued. "But the man she described sounded a lot like Sesshomaru did he not? Surely she has not met him before, so what are the chances of her meeting him in the future?"

Inuyasha sniffed the air, and then he shook his head. "I don't smell him nearby." Miroku shrugged, and the matter was put to rest.

If one strained his or her ear, they could just barely hear the faint breathing. The figure doing the breathing were tired of waiting for the hanyou in front of them to fall asleep, but luckily for him, he had finally dozed off. He silently waited a few more minutes for the hanyou to drift even further into Dreamland before he crept forward. When the man was standing over his target he allowed himself to give a small smirk. When he reached for the girl he heard a voice growl from behind him, "Did you really think I didn't know you where there?" The man turned and saw Inuyasha standing there, looking intimidating with his hand on his sword hilt. "What do you want?"

The man did not answer, and instead grunted as he lunged forward to attack.*3 Inuyasha quickly braced himself for impact, but was surprised when he went flying a lot farther backwards than he had expected. The noises of the battle woke up the rest of the members of the group, and the silent attacker decided that he should get a move on. He deflected an attack of Inuyasha's, and while the hanyou was unbalanced the assailant quickly moved over to Kiriko and grabbed her by the arm. He was about to run off with her when the very arm attached to the hand holding the girl was severed by Sango's Hiraikotsu. Said boomerang flew back at him, threatening to slice him in half, but as he turned to face its owner, it just missed him. The aggressor looked at his detached arm, and merely grunted. Kiriko shrieked in disgust and proceeded to back away from the man as quickly as possible.

The attacker switched his gaze to the stub attached to his torso and squinted his eyes. Within a few seconds, a new arm had sprouted and the feat earned a gasp of surprise from Sango. As Inuyasha lurched forward to attack again he hissed at Kagome. "He's after your friend. Take her and get out of here!"

Kagome merely nodded and quickly grabbed Kiriko's hand, dragging her away. When Kiriko began to run herself they headed into a wood, desperately trying to distance themselves from the battle and would-be kidnapper. Kiriko's heart was pounding in her chest and she could feel the blood rushing through her veins at top speed. When the girls thought it safe to stop, Kiriko nearly collapsed, trying to catch her breath. They stood there in eerie silence, waiting for one of their friends to come a give them the 'All-Clear.' Kiriko stiffened when she saw Kagome suddenly grow alert, her eyes determined and scanning. A rustle shattered the silence, and before either of the girls had time to blink their own eyes, Kagome fell to the ground unconscious. Kiriko gasped, and when she saw a shadow shift ever so slightly in the moonlight her instincts screamed to her only one command: run. Though she felt pained to leave Kagome in the state she was in, Kiriko obeyed.

Kiriko sprinted deeper into the wood; branches of trees nipped at her clothes, she tripped numerous times over the roots of the trees, and twigs scratched at her arms and hands.

She ran as far as fast as she could, powered by sheer adrenaline. When it seemed to Kiriko that she had been running forever, her legs began to slow down of their own accord. Soon after, her vision began to blur once again and Kiriko mentally cursed herself for being so weak*4. Just as her legs were about to give out, Kiriko burst into clearing where the light of a fire reached her closing eyes. She stumbled, collapsed, and fell heavily to the ground.

* * *

***: This is just my assumption of how a person behaves after they revive from fainting. I'm not entirely sure because the only time I may have fainted, no one was there to tell me that I did. I was standing, and then slowly my sight faded to black. I heard something fall and I was cursing my eyes—they often go black on me—because I couldn't see what fell (I was afraid it was my mother's fancy lamp). The next thing I know, I'm on the ground looking underneath a table. Entire process only **_**felt**_** like two minutes though it might have been longer. Took me another five minutes to realize I was the thing that fell. You tell me if I fainted.**

***2: Do streams have banks?**

***3: Oh gawd, here it comes. The scene I've been dreading. *sucks at writing battle scenes***

***4: Not really, she just ran 1 ½-2 miles since she ditched Kagome. Took her…twenty-five minutes. Have faith in yourself Kiriko!**

**A/N: Well? I know the chapters are getting shorter and I apologize for that. I'm trying to work on that. Hope you liked it anyway.**


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